Trolley-ear.



NlTED STATES Patented July 18, 1905.

PATENT rrica.

MONTRAVILLE M. WOOD. OF SOHENEOTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

TROLLEY-EAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 795,016, dated July 18, 1905.

Application filed January 15,1903. Serial No. 139,214.

Be it known that I, lVlONTRAVILLE M. WVooD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Schenectady, county of Schenectady, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trolley- Ears, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to overhead trolley suspension, and has for its object the provision of a highly-efficient detachable car which will clamp the wire throughout the length of the ear and also be readily attached and disconnected.

My invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which' Figure 1 is a side elevation of an ear embodying one form of my invention applied to a section of grooved wire. Fig. 2 is a central transverse section of the ear and wire, showing the tension-wrenches in position. Fig. 3 is a similar section showing a locking-bolt in position. Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the lockingbolt. Fig. 5 is an enlarged bottom plan of the ear, and Fig. 6 is an enlarged transverse section of clamping member.

The ear shown in the drawings consists of a main retaining member A and two longitudinally-movable clamping members B, carried by the retaining member A and adapted to grip the trolleywire between them. The retaining member A consists of an elongated head 1 and a central boss 2, provided with a tapped hole 3 for engaging the threaded end of the ordinary insulated supporting-bolt. The head 1 has transverse stiflening-ribs 4 and webs 5 between its upper edge and the sides of the boss 2 and is provided in its lower part with a longitudinal groove circular in cross-section, with its axis somewhat above the bottom edge of the head 1, whereby'inwardly-projecting shoulders 6 6 are formed upon the head. A central. transverse hole 7 is provided in the head 1 at the base of the boss 2 and intersecting with the upper part of the longitudinal groove. The clamping members B have their upper portions formed with substantially semicircular cross-sections and of a size that when placed together with their flat sides in contact they will fill the 1011- gitudinal groove in the head 1. The lower portions of the clamping members B are recessed to form jaws 8 at their lower edges and are set askew or obliquely with relation to their upper portionsthat is to say, the jaw 8 of each member B has one end near the plane of the flat side of the upper member and gradually retreats therefrom toward the opposite end, where it is removed from said plane a considerable distance, as indicated in Figs. 5 and 6. As a result of this arrangement of the jaws 8 relatively to the upper portions of the clamping members they stand at an angle to their paths o'f travel through the retaining member A and accordingly ap proach or recede from each other when moved in opposite directions.

The clamping members B may be made with uniform cross-sections, and the lower or jaw edge may be set askew by offsetting, and as a consequence I am able to use drawn or squirted metal for these parts.

The means shown for moving the clamping members B relatively to each other in the retaining member A consists of rack-teeth 9, provided in the upper edges of the clamping members B, and wrenches 10, adapted to en gage the teeth 9 through holes 7 and consisting of pinions 11, carried at the ends of short arbors 12, provided at the outer ends with handlebars 13.

When it is desired to connect a trolleywire to the ear, the right-hand clamping member of Fig. 5 is moved down and the lefthand member moved up until the space between the jaws 8 will admit the wire. Then the clamping members B are moved in the opposite direction until the jaws 8 securely grip the wire. The wrenches are then re moved, and a locking-bolt 14. may be inserted in the hole 7. The belt 14 is an ordinary bolt having two longitudinal grooves 15 cut therein, whereby a tongue 16 is formed which enters a notch between two rack-teeth 9 on each clamping member, and is provided with a cotter-pin 17 at its end.

It is to be noted that with my construe tion the retaining member may be made as long as desired and the wire eflectually clamped thereto at every point throughout the length of the member, that the clamping members may be of drawn or squirted metal and accordingly inexpensively made, and that the ear may be connected to or disengaged from the wire with a minimum effort.

My invention is in no way restricted to the construction shown in the drawings and may be changed and modified in many respects without departing from the spirit or scope thereof.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. The combination of a retaining member and a clamping member movable longitudinally thereof and provided with a jaw set obliquely to its path of travel.

2. The combination of a retaining member, a clamping member movable longitudinally thereof and provided with a jaw set obliquely to its path of travel, and means for moving said clamping member.

3. The combination of a retaining member, a clamping member movable longitudinally thereof and provided at its lower edge with an oblique jaw and at its upper edge with teeth, and means for engaging said teeth and moving said clamping member relatively to said retaining member.

4:. The combination of a retaining member, and two like clamping members movable longitudinally of said retaining member into operative engagement with the wire supported thereby.

.5. The combination of a retaining member able in said groove and provided with oblique jaws.

9. The combination of a retaining member provided with a longitudinal groove, two clamping members movable in said groove, and means for independently moving said clamping members.

10. The combination of a retaining member provided'with a longitudinal groove, two clamping members movable in said groove and provided at their upper edges with teeth and at their lower edges with oblique aws,

and means for engaging said teeth and movmg said clamping members in opposite d1rectrons.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 13th day of January, 1903.

MONTRAVILLE M. WOOD.

Witnesses:

G. C. I-IoLLIsTER, HELEN ORFORD. 

